Solar air heating technology has been used for millennia, but it has only been applied relatively recently in systems which are integrated with building heating ventilation and air conditioning systems.
In one scheme solar air heating units were provided on south facing walls as wall claddings. In another, solar heating units were provided on rooftops of industrial or commercial buildings in close proximity to an air handler unit. These roof-mounted solar air heating units are typically installed in rows, and connected to a collector duct, which provides a conduit for the solar heated air to travel from the solar heating units to the air handler unit. However, these solar heating units have been expensive to acquire and install. They also have not been as efficient as possible in collecting solar energy.
Thus, better techniques for heating air with solar energy and for making and installing equipment for this purpose are needed, and these techniques are provided in this patent application.